Kansas Future Teacher Academy application deadline extended

Kansas high school students interested in careers in education have an extra few weeks to apply for the Kansas Future Teacher Academy.

With the previous deadline of March 15 having passed, applications will now be accepted through April 12.

“We have received 30 applications from young women in high schools across the state,” said Bob Aman, director of the academy. “I challenge each high school counselor to find encourage at least one young man from their student body to apply to the academy.”

Citing data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Aman said, only 2 percent of pre-K and kindergarten teachers and 18 percent of elementary and middle-school teachers are men. In secondary school, 42 percent of teachers are men.

Interested students can apply for one of 20 $50 scholarships to assist in paying the $100 fee each student must pay for attending the academy. The scholarships funding was made available through the Flint Hills Chapter of PDK for the academy hosted at Emporia State University.

Applications are available online from www.emporia.edu/jones and will be being accepted through April 12. High school counselors, educators or students with questions about the academy, or those who would like more information can call ESU’s Jones Institute for Educational Excellence at 1-877-378-5433.

Every year the state’s nationally renowned Teachers College at Emporia hosts 25-60 high school students for five days. During the academy, participants learn about opportunities for careers in education, problem-solving and leadership skills, personal goal setting, and the use of technology in education.

This year the KFTA will be held June 9-13, 2013, at both Emporia State University and Dodge City Community College. For more than a decade, the academy has been held at the two locations to accommodate geographic distance.

Funding for the academy is provided by the Kansas Legislature. Students are allowed into the academy based upon their academic standing, involvement in school and community activities, and interest in exploring a career in teaching.

The Kansas Future Teacher Academy began in 1984 and is coordinated by the Jones Institute for Educational Excellence at ESU. For more information about the academy, visit www.emporia.edu/jones/kfta/ or contact Terri Weast at 620-341-5372.